British security analysts have raised alarm over the discovery that a company linked to Yemen’s Houthi movement has been registered in London for more than a decade, prompting concerns about national security, sanctions evasion and potential exploitation of UK freedoms.

The entity, registered as Almassira TV Channel Ltd but operating with minimal assets and a mailing address at a West London café, is connected to Al Masirah, the television station owned by the Houthi group that has been implicated in attacks on international shipping and broader regional destabilisation.

The existence of the company in the UK corporate registry has drawn scrutiny from counter-intelligence experts who worry that such structures could be used to provide cover for travel, financial flows or intelligence activities under the guise of legitimate business.

Official filings show that the company’s former director, Ebrahim Al Dulaimi, now serves as the Houthi ambassador to Iran and sits on the group’s political council, underscoring the close organisational links between the UK-registered entity and the Houthi leadership.

Analysts note that the apparent lack of physical presence belies the potential utility of a long-established corporate registration in the UK, which could be leveraged to open bank accounts, facilitate visa applications or establish a foothold for broader operations.

Intelligence practitioners draw parallels with Cold War era tactics in which states used ostensibly legitimate commercial fronts to advance covert objectives, and warn that similar models refined by Tehran and its proxies, including the Houthis, pose ongoing challenges for Western counter-terrorism and sanctions enforcement.

The debate over the company’s presence in the UK comes amid sustained Houthi attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea — actions that have drawn international military responses and heightened concerns about maritime security and supply-chain disruption.

While the UK continues to condemn such attacks and participate in broader efforts to safeguard maritime routes and deter destabilising activity, the revelation of the shell company’s long-standing UK registration highlights enduring vulnerabilities in corporate oversight and enforcement of sanctions regimes.

Security experts are calling for a reassessment of regulatory mechanisms to ensure that similar entities cannot be used to undermine national security or facilitate illicit activities under the cover of legal protections afforded to legitimate businesses.